Central America News

The Great Lakes Towing Company (GLT) on Monday unveiled plans to roll out a new breakbulk and RoRo shipping service serving the Caribbean.The Cleveland, Ohio-based company announced the formation of Great Lakes East (GLE), effectively reactivating Crimson Shipping Company’s former domestic and international marine transportation business, based out of Mobile, Ala. However, GLE will shift the primary load port to Fernandina Beach, Fla.GLE will initially service the trade with the 270- by 80-foot fully enclosed deck barge…

U.S. shipping company Crowley has shared first renderings and the names of its four new dual fuel liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containerships: Quetzal, Copan, Tiscapa and Torogoz.The 1,400 TEU vessels were ordered in 2022 by Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) for scheduled delivery from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in 2025.EPS will charter the ships out to Crowley, who will deploy them on its U.S.-Central America trade connecting U.S. markets to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

The biggest operational crane on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard towered over Baltimore's port on Friday, ready to begin clearing the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge days after a cargo ship crashed into it, sending the span crashing into the harbor.Crews were still surveying the damage as of midday Friday. The crane, which can lift up to 1,000 tons, arrived late Thursday night and will probably start hauling debris out of the water on Saturday morning, according to U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson Carmen Carver.A second crane is en route and expected to arrive soon to assist the effort…

In 2023, the container market grew 0.2% year-on-year, ending at 173.8 million TEU. Compared to 2019, before the COVID pandemic hit, the market grew 1.5%.“Container market growth has lagged behind overall economic development significantly, as the world economy has grown 10% since 2019,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Highlighting the challenge for liner operators, the container fleet capacity in 2023 grew 21% vs 2019 and 8% vs 2022. The order book of new ships will add nearly 25% to the capacity during the next four and a half years.

SEACOR Holdings Inc. announced it has concluded the sale of its Caribbean liner and logistics business SEACOR Container Lines LLC (“SEACOR Island Lines”) to King Ocean Services Ltd. The transaction includes all operations and assets.King Ocean specializes in marine transportation and logistics solutions to close to 50 destinations across the Caribbean and South and Central America out of their Port Everglades facilities in Ft Lauderdale, Fla.“For 40 years, King Ocean, a multi-generational…

MAN Energy Solutions and Karpowership have signed a contract for the delivery of 48 dual-fuel engines for Karpowership’s fleet of power plant ships (Powerships). The engine order consists of MAN 18V51/60DF dual-fuel engines with a mechanical output of 20.7MW each.The engines will be split between a number of Powerships. In addition to the engines, MAN Energy Solutions will also supply the control systems for the Powerships as well as other electro-mechanical equipment.Karpowership has the world's largest fleet of Powerships.

Port Angeles, Wash. boatbuilder BRIX Marine has launched its newest pilot boat, Aldebaran, for a customer in Central America.The trailerable 11.3-meter-long rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) is powered by twin 300-horsepower Yamaha outboards with 3 bl 15.75" X 18" SS props.The boat's Naiad hull has a 23 degrees progressive deadrise,, 5086 alloy aluminum hull skins, D-shaped foam EV50 (approx.

Shipping and energy logistics company Crowley said Tuesday it is proceeding with plans to provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering services on the Pacific side of the Panama Canal, under the first permit issued by the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) for the provision of such services.Crowley’s advanced energy group will operate the service to manage the ship-to-ship LNG transfer services. With a potential start date in 2024, Crowley is preparing to provide bunkering and related…

Bosch Rexroth has appointed Erwin Wieckowski, P.Eng. as the new President and CEO of Bosch Rexroth North and Central America based in Charlotte, NC, effective October 1, 2023.The role has been performed on an interim basis by Reinhard Schaefer in addition to his role as a member of the Divisional Board of Management with responsibility for Manufacturing. Schaefer will remain in the region to support the transition.“We are thrilled to have Erwin join our organization,” said Schaefer.

Volvo Penta announced it has entered into a new partnership with SVF Panama, part of the SVF Group, to support its customers with marine services in Panama and Costa Rica.In recent years, Volvo Penta has steadily expanded its service and support network, partnering with companies that specialize in marine operations to provide technical support, field service, maintenance operations and parts supply for its customer base across the marine leisure and commercial sectors.“SVF is an ideal partner for Volvo Penta…

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft announced it has delivered the new environmentally advanced cruise ship Silver Nova to Royal Caribbean's luxury cruise line Silversea Cruises."We are very pleased to once again deliver a ship that will set new standards on the way to climate-neutral cruising. With the propulsion system, a combination of LNG, fuel cell system and batteries, the ship has the best possible measures to reduce emissions," said Jan Meyer, managing director of Meyer Werft.A…

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

U.S.-based Seaboard Marine announced it has acquired its first vessel fueled by cleaner burning liquefied natural gas (LNG).The 1,000 TEU Seaboard Blue, previously known as the Elbblue, was retrofitted in 2017 with the capability of running on both LNG and diesel fuel. The vessel was the world’s first containership converted from conventional diesel propulsion to LNG.The vessel, now part of Seaboard Marine’s North Central America service, called and bunkered at PortMiami on Monday…

Tim Clerc’s maritime career spans half a century, starting with his cadet training in 1969 in the U.K. He sees hybrid technology as one of the most transformational technological developments in maritime in that span, and the company is currently awaiting its 10th hybrid, the Seacor Yangtze. Clerc discusses the hybrid strategy and offers some practical insights.If you had to pick one technology that you think has made the business of running ships more efficient, more cost effective…

Sanmar Shipyards delivered four tugs during the final week of 2022 rounding off a year that saw the Turkish tugboat-builder deliver a total of 30 tugs to operators across Europe, the Middle East, Australia, South and Central America and Asia, along with others to its domestic market in Türkiye.The last tug to be delivered in 2022 was YENICAY XVI to Türkiye based Marintug, where it was been renamed ADAKALE by its new owners. The RAscal 1800 Class of compact tugs have been developed exclusively for Sanmar by Canadian naval architects Robert Allan Ltd…

The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday said it had recovered the body of one person after a vessel carrying Cuban migrants capsized off Florida's Little Torch Key, adding it rescued nine people and was searching for five others. Survivors told rescuers a total of 19 people were originally on the homemade vessel and that four people drowned immediately after it capsized, Coast Guard spokesperson Nicole Groll said. Rough seas and winds of 30 miles per hour made an already dangerous voyage more perilous, she said.

Environmentalists on Thursday sued the agency overseeing U.S. fisheries, claiming it had failed to protect endangered humpback whales from entanglement in drift gillnets - sprawling curtains of nylon mesh - used in commercial fishing off California.The lawsuit accuses the National Marine Fisheries Service of violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing drift gillnets without safeguards and failing to take into account the harm posed to whales already at risk of extinction.The suit…

Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) said it has secured a contract from U.S.-based Crowley for the charter of four dual fuel liquified natural gas (LNG) powered containership newbuilds.The 1,400-TEU vessels, which will be built by South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery in 2025, will be deployed on Crowley’s U.S.-Central America trade connecting U.S. markets to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Each ship will feature 300 refrigerated unit plugs.Using LNG significantly lowers vessel greenhouse gas emissions…

ZF Marine announced it has hired George Lewis as its new head of product line commercial-fast craft, North/Central America and the Caribbean, reporting to Wolfgang Schmid, ZF’s Industrial Division Head for North America.“ZF Marine welcomes George aboard and looks forward to the positive impact he will have upon the company’s sales across the Americas and Caribbean,” Schmid said. “With his deep industry knowledge and technical skill as a trained naval architect and proven sales leader…

Crowley recently honored four U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadets with Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships during the Containerization and Intermodal Institute’s Connie Awards on December 6 in Newark, N.J.Cadets Breanna Frank, Nathan Mathes, A.J. Poznanski and Erin Roberts were awarded the memorial scholarship based on their interest in pursuing a career at sea, as well as their service during their sea year aboard a Crowley-owned or -managed vessel.Midshipman First Class Breanna Frank, from Sidney, Mont., is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in maritime logistics and security.

A pair of new new tugs at the Port of Acajutla will provide services for the first project to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) to El Salvador, a joint initiative from Energía del Pacífico (EDP) and the U.S. group Invenergy.The SAAM Towage vessels SAAM Acaxual and SAAM Centzunat were christened as part of the festivities to celebrate the arrival of the first floating storage and regassification unit (FSRU), the BW Tatiana, at the city’s port. This is the first FSRU stationed…

Louisiana Gulf Coast grain exports are slowly ramping up after a nearly two-week halt due to damage from Hurricane Ida, with at least two large terminals loading vessels and power steadily being restored to others, government and shipping sources said on Thursday.More than 50 oceangoing vessels have lined up along the lower Mississippi River waiting to dock and be loaded with soybeans or grain, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data and industry vessel lineup summaries seen by Reuters.Restoring shipments from the busiest U.S.

Crowley Maritime Corp. has awarded Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarships to Mavry Sepulvado and Andrew Hubert of the Texas A&M University Maritime Academy. The recipients earned the scholarships based on their academic performance, cadet shipping experience and interest in pursuing a career at sea.Sepulvado, a senior from New Caney, Texas, is pursuing a degree in marine transportation. He is a first-generation college student and serves as treasurer for the Triathlon Club. Sepulvado served his sea term aboard the Crowley-managed tanker Golden State.